''Also include any background information particular to the city (i.e. [[Geneva]] is a French-speaking city, [[New Delhi]] can be more dangerous than other parts of [[India]], etc), but try not to duplicate too much information that already exists in the country or region page.''

''Also include any background information particular to the city (i.e. [[Geneva]] is a French-speaking city, [[New Delhi]] can be more dangerous than other parts of [[India]], etc), but try not to duplicate too much information that already exists in the country or region page.''

Version du 22 mars 2004 à 22:30

[NOTE: This is a template for creating articles about absolutely huge cities. If a city is so big that we really can't keep all its information in one page, we break it up into districts, each of which has its own article -- see the district article template for starting those. In general, we keep summary info on the page about the city, with links to the pages about each district, and highlights from those pages. You should be able to copy-and-paste the Wiki markup for this article to get started on a new huge city. Stuff in italics below is editorial comment and not part of the eventual article. You should plan on ripping out everything in italics when you start your city article.]

This is a where you give a quick descriptive overview of the city. Be sure to include some context so readers know where and what they are reading about. Links to the region and country that the city is in can be useful here, too.

Also include any background information particular to the city (i.e. Geneva is a French-speaking city, New Delhi can be more dangerous than other parts of India, etc), but try not to duplicate too much information that already exists in the country or region page.

Sommaire

Districts

Most of the meat of the information about a huge city is divided up into the individual district articles. You should list the districts here, as well as a short blurb about the district. See the District article template for the structure of district articles.

Understand

Give a deeper understanding of the city, such as its history, its culture, its mores, its politics, its relationship to other cities and the country it's in. Jokes and stereotypes about locals, etc.

Get in

Arrival details. Try and include as many options as you can think of -- land, air, sea. Also include getting from transportation centers (such as airports) to central areas or hotel/hostel districts.

Below are some sections for common ways to get to a city. Try to order the sections from the most common and convenient to the rarest and most inconvenient. If for some reason there's a common way to approach the city not listed below -- by llama, by snowmobile, by bush helicopter -- just add another section. And leave out sections that don't apply.

By plane

Name the airport or airports that serve this city. Name the air carriers that serve the city, and rough schedules ("once a week, once a day") for getting to this city by air from other major nearby cities. Note transportation options for getting from the airport to the city center. If it's common to hire private planes to arrive in the city -- say, if it's in the bush in Alaska -- note the names of plane charter companies, and give contact info. If there's just no plane service to this city, leave this section out.

By train

Give names of other nearby cities and rough schedules ("once a day, on the hour") for getting to this city by train. Note the location of the train station or stations and give directions for getting to central areas or hotel/hostel districts. If there is no rail service to the city, just leave this section out.

By car

Driving details and directions for getting to this destination. Try to include the names of major highways, as well as directions from other nearby cities. If for some reason it would be exceptional to come to this city by car -- say, if it's on an island not served by bridges or ferries, or if it's in a country where personal travel by automobile is extremely rare -- just leave this section out.

By bus

Give names of other nearby cities and rough schedules ("once a day, on the hour") for getting to this city by bus. Contact info for bus companies is nice, too. Note the location of the bus terminal or terminals and give directions for getting to central areas or hotel/hostel districts. If there is no bus service to the city, leave this section out.

By boat

Name any ferries, passenger boats, or other floating vessels for getting to this destination. Give contact information for carriers, and the location of arrival points with relation to the city center, as well as transport options from the dock or terminal. If it's a common way to arrive, note the marinas where you can show up with a private vessel. If the city is landlocked or just not served by passenger boat traffic, just leave this section out.

Get around

How to get around once you are there: bus, train, rickshaw, ferry, gondola, etc. How much does local transport cost, where/how to buy tickets, and good discounts (week or weekend passes, 1/2 price seniors or students, etc).

See

This is for a summary of attractions in the huge city. Don't give full details about each attraction; you should have that in the article for the district. But if there are some attractions that people are going to be expecting to find out about in this city, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or just attractions that people really shouldn't miss, have them listed here.

No trip to Huge City would be complete without stopping in District 3 and seeing Attraction 3.

Do

This is for a summary of activities in the huge city, that is, things that travellers will do themselves. More active participation is needed for Do things than for See things. For example, going to see a river goes under See; kayak trips down the river go under Do. Don't give full details about each activity; you should have that in the article for the district. But if there are some activities that people are going to be expecting to find out about in this city, or just activities that people really shouldn't miss, have them listed here. Not every activity in the city needs to be mentioned -- just ones that are so important people expect them to be on the main page for the city.

The fabulous Activity 1 in District 1 is a centerpiece of any visit to Huge City.

Learn

If there are opportunities for travellers to study in this city -- from language to cooking classes up to full university courses -- add that here.

Work

What possibilities are there for travellers to earn money in this city? Note that this is kind of long-range and probably won't be appropriate for most destinations.

Buy

The travellers' dirty secret: we like souvenirs. What would be good to buy in this city? Local crafts? How about general shopping -- clothes, travel equipment, other? Give general tips about what to buy and where to shop in the city, preferably pointing to district pages for the full scoop.

Eat

For general points of where to eat out in the city. Mention any local specialties or oddities here. Avoid specific restaurant info; leave that for each individual district page. Instead, try to name districts where restaurants are plentiful or of a particular quality -- say, if there's a Little Italy or a Chinatown or such.

If there are particular restaurants that are landmarks for the city, you can point to them here, mentioning in which district they are located and giving a reason why they're called out specifically. It's perfectly OK not to have any individual restaurants listed, though.

Stop by Restaurant 1 in District 3 for a quintessential Huge City dining experience.

Drink

For general points about bars, clubs, and other nightlife in the city. Yes, many people go out to clubs and don't drink; the name of the section is still Drink. Mention any local specialties or oddities, and give a general idea of good areas of the city to try. Avoid specific bar listings; instead, put these on the district pages. Instead, give pointers to bar areas, nightclub districts, great streets to try.

If there are particular bars or clubs that should be listed, name them here, and give a link to the district they're in. Note that it's much less likely that someone's going to expect a particular bar in the city than, say, an attraction for See or an activity for Do. For a city big enough to use this template, there's rarely a single bar that's a significant landmark. But it might happen, so add its name and a link to the district it's in below.

The beats go on till the early morn at Nightclub 1 on Some Street in District 3.

Sleep

This is for helping the traveller find a place to lay his/her weary head. Give a general idea of good areas of the destination to try to find lodging. Avoid listing specific hotels in the page for the city; instead, give those listings in the individual district pages. The point here is to tick off good places to look for hotels, motels, and campgrounds, not to give contact details. If for some reason there's a landmark hotel, or just one people shouldn't miss, in the city -- and what are the chances? -- list its name and a link to the district it's in.

Contact

Information on communications -- phone, Internet, other. Give information on cellular phone coverage in the city. If there are free or paid wireless Internet hotspots in the city, name them here. If there are a few convenient Internet cafes or other computer rental stores, name them here, but leave the detailed listings to the district pages.

Stay Safe

This is a section for general safety tips. If there are health hazards or crime problems in the city, list them here.

Get out

How to move on from the city. Try and include as many options as you can think of -- land, air, sea. Other nearby destination suggestions or day-trip ideas should go here. Don't replicate information that's up in "Get in", though. If there's really no extra information, just leave this section out entirely.

External links

This is where you'd add links to other Web sites that may have information about this city. Try to include these in the article text where possible, but if not, just list them here. Emphasize first sources rather than Web pages on other travel Web sites.